A substantial market exists for wrecked automobiles. The wrecked autos are usually shipped to a metal recycling location where they are chipped into small pieces. The smaller pieces are then processed and sold as the raw material for creating new steel.
Standard flatbed trailers are commonly used to transport the wrecked vehicles. The wrecked vehicles have usually been stripped of non-metals and hazardous substances and then are flattened to enable fitting a full allowable weight on the flatbed trailer. The flattened vehicles are loaded on the flatbed in stacks and each stack is secured with tie down chains.
There are disadvantages in transporting vehicles on standard flatbed trailers. When the wrecked vehicles are flattened, stress is put on various parts of the vehicle which may become dislodged or loose in transit, such as electrically operated mirrors and plastic molding, grilles, etc. Parts that are partially loose after the flattening process may fall off the trailer while the flattened vehicles are in transit and put dangerous debris on the highway.
Another disadvantage of flatbed trailers for transporting flattened vehicles is that there is no reference point for the allowable height of the stacked vehicles. When various wrecked automobiles are flattened, they are reduced to different heights depending on the type and size of vehicle. With a flatbed trailer, there is no visual reference in place on the trailer to guide the allowable height of each stack of flattened vehicles that is loaded on the trailer. Loading the trailer incorrectly can lead to a serious accident on the highway.
Still another disadvantage of using standard flatbed trailers for transporting flattened vehicles involves the inspection of tie down devices during transit. Drivers of trailers must make a visual inspection of the load soon after leaving the origin to ascertain the tightness of the chains. If the load has shifted, adjustments are made to the tie downs to secure the load. As a driver cannot get safely on top of a bulky load such as flattened vehicles, it is very difficult to inspect the tightness and security of the tie down devices.
There is also a safety concern when using flatbed trailers to transport flattened vehicles or other bulky cargo. The person or persons securing the load must crawl or use a ladder to get the tie down chains across the stacks of flattened vehicles. Manipulating the chains across the stacks is very unsafe as the stacks of vehicles are unstable and are prone to slip or tip over.
Another disadvantage of using flatbed trailers to transport flattened vehicles is encountered when removing the load from the trailer. The stacks of flattened vehicles are typically removed with a forklift. As the flatbed trailer is open on all sides and the stacks of flattened vehicles are resting on the bed of the trailer, the forklift driver will find it difficult to wedge the forks under the stacks of flattened vehicles without pushing the vehicles off the bed.
As described by these several limitations, flat bed trailers of the present art have not proven fully satisfactory in transporting bulky cargo such as flattened vehicles.